Ten years ago, the Bears were NFC champions facing the Colts in Super Bowl XLI in Miami. Devin Hester's 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown provided an electrifying start to the game, but the Colts prevailed 29-17. Afterward, Lovie Smith's team talked boldly about returning the next season to complete their mission. Chicago is still waiting.

The Bears have made only one playoff appearance since the Super Bowl, in 2010, and have finished last in the NFC North the last three seasons. They bottomed out at 3-13 this season, the franchise's worst record since the league went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. How did the Bears go from the Super Bowl to also-ran in 10 years? We examine the draft choices, decision-makers, trends and key games that have added up to a decade of decline.

A decade of the draft: Grading every Bears draft pick from the last 10 years

Bears draft grades from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) over the last decade. Grades for later-round picks are based on a curve. For example, drafting cornerback Corey Graham in the fifth round in 2007 turned out to be a home run: He has been to the Pro Bowl as a special-teams player and is a starter with the Bills. A player's entire career is evaluated, not just his time with the Bears. 2015 first-round pick Kevin White is a 1 based on 19 receptions through two seasons. Obviously, grades for players selected in the last three years could change significantly in the next couple of years. The grade assigned is where they would be after the 2016 season.

Angelo's early drafts provided a backbone for the team that reached Super Bowl XLI, and he had a nice stretch of getting super production out of midround picks. That trend ended and busts on offensive linemen Chris Williams and Gabe Carimi in the first round was a significant part of his downfall.

Phil Emery's average rank, 2012-14

3.6

Some excellent picks such as Kyle Long, Alshon Jeffery and Charles Leno were the exception. Too many picks failed with the Bears and didn't make it elsewhere. It remains to be seen what will happen with his top pick in 2014, cornerback Kyle Fuller.

Ryan Pace's average rank, 2015-16

4.0

Pace got quick production from significant number of 2016 draft picks and gets high marks for the selection of Cody Whitehair in the second round and Jordan Howard in the fifth. For this to be an excellent draft class, Leonard Floyd must improve -- which a lot of folks believe will happen.

2007

Record:

7-9

Division:

4th

Offensive rank:

27

Defensive rank:

28

Jerry Angelo

General Manager

Lovie Smith

Head Coach

Ron Turner

Offensive coordinator

Bob Babich

Defensive coordinator

Bears' 2007 draft classTop pick: 31st overall

Rd.PlayerPos.

Biggs' rating

1Greg OlsenTE

10

2Dan BazuinDE

1

3Garrett WolfeRB

4

3Michael OkwoLB

1

4Josh BeekmanC

3

5Kevin PayneDB

3

5Corey GrahamDB

9

7Trumaine McBrideDB

7

7Aaron BrantG

1

Bears points differential

Win

Loss

The season in one game

Rex Grossman would go on to make five more starts for the Bears, but this loss essentially was the end of an era. Lovie Smith replaced Grossman with Brian Griese the following week. The Cowboys picked off Grossman three times, giving him 33 turnovers in his previous 17 starts, including the postseason.

The season in one game

The Bears needed help from a handful of other teams and got it but missed a wild-card berth when they failed to win the season finale against a .500 Texans team. They blew a 10-0 lead and surrendered 455 yards of offense, highlighting a season's worth of defensive inadequacies.

The season in one game

The Bengals scored on their first seven possessions and former Bear Cedric Benson justified his selection as the fourth pick in the 2005 draft by rushing for a career-high 189 yards -- for the Bengals. It was the first time under Lovie Smith the team looked completely unprepared to compete.

The season in one game

Jan. 23, 2011Packers 21, Bears 14Soldier Field

With a chance to reach the Super Bowl for the second time in five years, the Bears came up short. Jay Cutler was knocked out in third quarter with a knee injury. The Bears could have prevented the Packers from reaching the playoffs had they beaten their rival in Week 17 at Soldier Field.

The season in one game

A 7-3 start to the season unraveled in the final six weeks with painful losses like this one. The Bears blew a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter and could have iced the game had Marion Barber not run out of bounds to stop the clock and fumbled in overtime.

The season in one game

Seahawks rookie Russell Wilson passed for 293 yards and ran for 71 in what marked the final game in Brian Urlacher's career as he suffered a pulled hamstring that sidelined him for the final four games. The Bears missed the playoffs despite a 10-6 record, leading to Lovie Smith's firing.

The season in one game

The Bears needed one win in the final two weeks to clinch the NFC North, but in a sign of defensive failures to come the next season, they were mauled as the Eagles rolled up 514 yards of offense, including 289 on the ground.

2014

Record:

5-11

Division:

4th

Offensive rank:

21

Defensive rank:

30

Phil Emery

General Manager

Marc Trestman

Head Coach

Aaron Kromer

Offensive coordinator

Mel Tucker

Defensive coordinator

Bears' 2014 draft classTop pick: 14th overall

Rd.PlayerPos.

Biggs' rating

1Kyle FullerDB

4

2Ego FergusonDT

2

3Will SuttonDT

3

4Ka'Deem CareyRB

2

4Brock VereenDB

1

6David FalesQB

2

6Pat O'DonnellP

6

7Charles LenoT

8

Bears points differential

Win

Loss

The season in one game

Coming off an open date and after allowing 51 points in the previous game to the Patriots, the Bears were humiliated by the Packers. The Bears became the NFL's first team to allow more than 50 points in consecutive games since the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons.

The season in one game

Nov. 26, 2015Bears 17, Packers 13Lambeau Field

The Packers retired Brett Favre's No. 4, but the Bears got a win that provided a boost for the John Fox era by upsetting the Packers. The Bears improved to 5-6, but any momentum proved to be a mirage as they lost four of the final five.

2016

Record:

3-13

Division:

4th

Offensive rank:

15

Defensive rank:

15

Ryan Pace

General Manager

John Fox

Head Coach

Dowell Loggains

Offensive coordinator

Vic Fangio

Defensive coordinator

Bears' 2016 draft classTop pick: 9th overall

Rd.PlayerPos.

Biggs' rating

1Leonard FloydOLB

6

2Cody WhitehairG

7

3Jonathan BullardDT

3

4Nick KwiatkoskiLB

5

4Deon BushS

3

4Deiondre' HallCB

3

5Jordan HowardRB

10

6DeAndre Houston-CarsonS

2

7Daniel BravermanWR

2

Bears points differential

Win

Loss

The season in one game

With the roster as healthy as it had been since training camp, the Bears emerged from their open date and laid an egg in Tampa, Fla., as Jay Cutler threw a pick-six to former Bear Chris Conte, one of the quarterback's three turnovers.